Casting spells while in elemental form


Rules Questions


Searching the forum didn't reveal much..

Can a sorceress who casts elemental body on herself still casts spells while in that shape?


blaznee wrote:

Searching the forum didn't reveal much..

Can a sorceress who casts elemental body on herself still casts spells while in that shape?

Can a Druid do so while Wildshaped (elemental body, or animal shape)

No, unless they take the feat Natural Spell.

Silver Crusade

From the Core Rulebook, page 212 (4th printing, pdf):
When you cast a polymorph spell that changes you into a creature of the animal, dragon, elemental, magical beast, plant, or vermin type, all of your gear melds into your body. Items that provide constant bonuses and do not need to be activated continue to function while melded in this way (with the exception of armor and shield bonuses, which cease to function). Items that require activation cannot be used while you maintain that form. While in such a form, you cannot cast any spells that require material components (unless you have the Eschew Materials or Natural Spell feat), and can only cast spells with somatic or verbal components if the form you choose has the capability to make such movements or speak, such as a dragon. Other polymorph spells might be subject to this restriction as well, if they change you into a form that is unlike your original form (subject to GM discretion).

In the Bestiary, pages 120-127 (2nd printing, pdf), all 4 classic elementals have languages, and all 4 specifically state that specific individuals have different shapes. All but air elementals specifically list human or humanoid as a possible shape.

From the Bestiary, page 311:
Elemental Subtype: Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.

Based on the above, my take is:
1. Verbal components, no issue, all elementals can cast.
2. Somatic components, only if a humanoid shape (baring a feat like Natural Spell). Usually an elemental shape is fluff only, so in most instances this is not an issue. Note: I would treat air elementals like all the others; if a humanoid-ish whirlwind, you can cast, if a bird shape, no.
3. Somatic components, not able to cast per the above.

Silver Crusade

Shifty wrote:
blaznee wrote:

Searching the forum didn't reveal much..

Can a sorceress who casts elemental body on herself still casts spells while in that shape?

Can a Druid do so while Wildshaped (elemental body, or animal shape)

No, unless they take the feat Natural Spell.

I don't get there from the Wild Shape entry or the Elemental Body spell entries.

Core Rulebook, page 51:
A druid loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

For me the key words are "animal form."

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